Clary's New Institute
by fireheartmatilda
Summary: The Clave weren't happy with Clary after she used the Angel's wish. On trial, Clary waits for her family to have her back, but when they don't, what will she do? How can she keep putting her life on a line for a family who will never accept her? Will she ever find a family who will support her the way a family is meant to?
1. Chapter 1

She had to leave. She had to leave right then. Because if she stayed another moment, she would break apart. After everything that has happened, she couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't keep getting hurt and losing people she loved, all for a family who barely tolerated her. She had a life, before all of this, a mundane life, no doubt, but a life all the same. It was a life with laughter and family and friendship and love. And then she was thrust into a world of demons and fighting and war. And, believe it or not, it is a world that she loved, and a world that she wouldn't give up for anything. But these people…After everything that had happened, they had stopped Valentine, and saved Idris, and still she had no place amongst these people. As she had stood before the council, stood and declared her motives were for the greater good. Declared that the unity rune between shadowhunters and downworlders had saved their asses. Despite this truth, the clave had been sceptical, claiming it was a degradation to shadowhunters to be bound to those with demon blood, even temporarily. They had moved past the fact that without the rune, they would be dead, and straight to someone to blame. And there had been Clary. And that council meeting. The council meeting where they had brought her to trial, where they had stood around, flinging about accusations and desperately trying to find something to blame her for. And there was her family. Sat at the sidelines, watching. None of them spoke for her. They simply watched. Isabelle, with her apologetic gaze, Alec, gripping the sides of his seat like he wanted to say something, and Jace, with his expression schooled into neutrality. None of them spoke for her. Noone interrupted the Inquisiter, not until, Luke stood up, his expression full of fury at the comments being made about his daughter, and he had begun to defend her. Then Jocelyn, Clary's own mother, had pulled him down. Had stopped him defending her. Whilst she herself sat silent. Clary refused to cry, even as they said everything they could possibly say to insult her, and her cheeks burned as red as her hair. But she would not cry. Finally the Inquisiter finished his questions, and moved to where the Consul sat, both of them speaking in hushed tones about her verdict, whilst Clary moved the gaze to those of her family and friends, imploring them to help, to speak for her. And no one did. The hall was silent. That is, until Simon Lewis burst in, rushing straight to Clary's side, and causing every pair of eyes in the Council room move to him. He was angry, an emotion that was unusual on Simon, though often came out when he was defending his friends. And so his rant began. He pleaded and yelled at the Consul and Inquisiter about the absolutely ridiculous notion that Clary was in any way to blame at all, when she had in fact been the solution and had saved all of their lives and they should have been grateful. At which point, the Consul interrupted him, calmly informing him that Clary had been found innocent of bringing any harm to the shadowhunters, and was free of all blame. And Clary had walked from the Council room as quickly as she could and run all the way here, begging the tears not to fall as she shoved her clothes into a bag. None of them had spoken for her. Not Jace, not Isabelle and not Alec. Not even her own mother. Luke had tried and Simon had spoken loudly for her case, but not any of the others. And she couldn't take it anymore. She didn't want this life with these people. She didn't want to hear them explain themselves, or give excuses about the power of the Clave. She would have stood up for any one of them against anything. And it was evident they wouldn't do the same.

It was Simon that found her first. He burst into her room, where she was throwing her things into a duffel bag, haphazardly, barely noticing what she was grabbing. She had her blades, and she had her stele. That was what mattered. When he came in, he stood for a moment, watching as she desperately grabbed items, shoving them into the bag, before he moved in front of her, placing a hand on either shoulder and forcing him to look at her. When she did, her eyes were filled with tears. "None of them stood behind me. They sat there and did nothing. Nothing. I don't belong here Simon. Not with them."

"Fray, what are you doing?" He questioned, panicked by the definite tone with which she had spoken, and his eyes examined the contents of her bag, even as she pulled away and kept throwing in clothes.

"I'm leaving, Simon. I have to leave. I have to get away from this." He felt his heart fracture a little.

"From me?" Her head snapped to him at that point, and she dropped the bag she was holding, taking his hands in hers as she looked up at him.

"Never. You are my family, Simon. You are my best friend, my everything." He rested his forehead against hers, and they stayed that way a moment, just taking a minute.

"Don't leave, Fray. Please." She let out a sigh, pulling her forehead away from his and returning to her bag. Her head was ducked when she spoke again, but her voice was choked with tears.

"I have to go. I have to find somewhere that I belong." He gave a nod, even as he felt the tears threaten to spill over. Still, he understood. He had seen the hurt in her eyes when none of them had stepped forwards for her, and knew that she needed a fresh start. And he wanted that for her.

"What do you need me to do?" She turned towards him slowly, smiling wide as tears filled her eyes.

"Thank you, Simon." He grinned, before grabbing an item of clothing off of the floor and passing it to her.

After they had finished shoving as many things as they could fit into the bag, Clary rushed from the room, and from the house, sneaking into the alley beside the house. Simon followed, his heart aching for his friend and for how she was hurting. This was what she needed. Even if it broke his heart to lose her. She pulled her stele out, and Simon waited for her to draw the portal rune that he was familiar with now, but instead she turned to him. "Come with me, Simon. Come with me. We can start over together." He could see the hope in her eyes, and in his head, he could see the future they could have somewhere, doing all the things they had planned before she had become a shadowhunter and he a vampire. And yet, he knew he had to stay here. He had to fight for the vampires and the downworlders, and he had his family to get back to at some point. She could see the thoughts crossing his mind, could see the regret in his eyes and Simon didn't have to say anything. "I get it. Your life is here."

"My life is with you, Clary. You're my best friend. But I can't go." She gave a sad smile, and nodded.

"I know. I know." She pulled him into a hug, breathing in his familiar smell, and holding him so tightly she thought she might never let go. But she did let go. She let go, and pulled away, using her shaking hand to pull out her stele, as she began to draw her portal rune. She kept it all in. All the emotions threatening to spill over, and make her break down. She kept it in, so he would not have to see that. See how much her family's betrayal had hurt her. It was then that footsteps echoed through the alley, and as she turned, she found them standing there, all watching her with confused eyes. Their gazes moved between her, and her bag, and Simon's heartbroken expression.

"What are you doing, Clary?" It was Luke who spoke, none of them moving as they stared at each other.

"I'm leaving." Clary was desperate to keep her voice was shaking, to keep from crying.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Izzy's confused tone matched all of their expressions.

"I mean I'm leaving." Clary was surprised by the cold tone of her voice, but she couldn't help feeling intimidated, them standing in a line, against her. She was only glad she had Simon with her.

"Honey, please, just…" Clary cut her mother off.

"None of you seemed to care where I went when you were prepared to let the Consul send me to jail." It was shame that filled their expressions then, shame and understanding, and Clary didn't wait before she drew her portal rune. She needed to get out of there, before she fell apart. She turned back quickly, before she stepped through the portal, making eye contact with each of them. "Don't bother grilling Simon on where I've gone. He doesn't know." And that was all she said. She locked eyes with Simon, the goodbye written in her gaze, and he gave her a nod, even though his expression was sad. That was all she needed before she stepped through that portal, tumbling out on the other side into a grassy field. As she made her way to her feet, and brushed herself off, Clary felt her feet wobble beneath her. She pushed her way up the steps, and found herself at the bottom of the steps leading up to a building that she barely had time to take in before she blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two Years Later**

. . .

It was so late that the sun was already edging its way over Sydney's skyline, and Clary was sure that they were on a hopeless mission as she blinked away the exhaustion that was eating at her. Still, she trusted Orana's judgement and it was better that they were doing this together anyway, in case there was a demon. As usual, her parabatai was determined and unlikely to admit she might have been wrong, still sitting alert beside Clary, crouched in a doorway in a dark alley, eyes pinned on the corner of the alleyway, waiting for the demon to emerge from the darkness. Clary was redrawing Orana's energy rune, mainly so she wouldn't have to carry her back to the institute. Finally, just as Clary was about to call it off, longing for her comfy bed at the institute that waited for her, she heard the noise down the alley. The familiar rumbling of the demon they had been hunting for days now. Orana's dark eyes lit up in the dark, and Clary could feel her own senses prick up, her blood humming for a fight. They didn't have to say anything as their eyes locked, communicating in the way that only parabatai could, and Clary gave a short nod. It was then that Orana burst from the alley way, and Clary listened to the sounds of the fight, watching as she danced around the demon, seraph blade out, black, smooth hair swinging in its ponytail as she fought. She knew her cue, and waited in her spot for what felt like a long few moments, until Orana had turned the demon around to face away from the crouch in which they had been sat. When they were finally in the right space, Clary leapt from her hiding place, blade out, and she thrust it through the demon's back. There was the moment when it felt like flesh, before the demon seemed to explode and fizzle away, having been banished back to Edom where it belonged. On the other side of the alley, Orana was grinning widely, a smile that always made Clary smile wider, and had since the moment they had met, her white teeth a stark contrast to her black skin. Clary stepped towards Orana, knowing her own expression mirrored her parabatai's glee, her heart still pounding from the thrill of the fight. Cleaning off her blade on her black jacket, Clary knew there was no helping the demon ichor splattered across her face. And so, the parabatai made their way through an almost empty Sydney, too late for last night's party goers and too early for the workers. Just the right time for demon hunter, however. It was peaceful, and Clary had to admit that as much as she longed for her bed, this was one of her favourite times of day. Not that she planned on repeating this excursion anytime soon, if she could help it. Still, it could be worse. And when they arrived at the Sydney institute, the two wished each other a good sleep, before collapsing in their respective rooms, exhausted from their endeavours.

When Clary awoke, it was almost 11, and the light pouring into her room was bright. She had fallen asleep on top of her sheets, still dressed head to toe in gear and covered in demon blood, but at least she now felt well rested. Stripping out of her gear, Clary moved into her bathroom, turning on the shower and letting it heat up before getting into the steaming water. She let the water run over her for a minute, savouring the warmth against her skin, before she began to wash. After ensuring all of the demon gore was off her skin, she washed her hair, pulling her fingers through her red hair, and got out of the shower, wrapping her hair in a fluffy towel and pulling a dressing gown around herself, before moving back into her bedroom. The room was quite large, with a whole wall of windows, that she normally pulled a curtain across at night but hadn't bothered that morning as she had fallen asleep. The view of Sydney was astounding, and Clary never tired of looking over the city that she loved so much. This was her home, her family, and she couldn't be happier. She didn't bother to blow-dry her hair, instead rubbing it down with the towel and pulling the damp strands into a ponytail, before grabbing her clothes from the dresser, and comfy cream jumper, and dark blue jeans. She didn't bother to wear training gear, the cramp in her leg from where she had been crouched for so long last night telling her that she was not likely to be training until the evening. Instead, she pulled on a pair of trainer socks and walked out of the room, making her way through the institute and to the kitchen, desperately in need of a cup of coffee. The Sydney institute was beautiful, with its open and airy rooms, and the large windows that made up so many of the walls, allowing the sun to stream through, brightening the space. As she made her way through it, Clary thought about all of the rooms, once filled with shadowhunters from all across the world. Orana and Benjamin had told her about a time before the battle in Idris two years ago, when the institute had been full of people. Now it was only the five of them. But Clary liked it better that way. She liked being in a place where it wasn't too busy, or crowded, and where everyone looked out for one another. They were a family.

Walking into the kitchen, Clary found Benjamin already stood by one of the counters, waiting on the kettle to boil. There was another mug out, with coffee granules in, and he was reaching for the sugar for Clary's coffee. She smiled at the thoughtfulness.

"Morning." He smiled back, lazily, his dark eyes so similar to his sister's. Benjamin was one of those people who smiled almost constantly, always finding something to smile about, and constantly working to make other people feel better. Despite his considerate nature, he was one of the best fighters that she had ever met, and managed to juggle helping run the institute and raising his siblings. He was the oldest of four siblings, Orana, Noah and Iona, all of whom had been adopted separately (though Benjamin and Orana were biologically siblings already) by their late parents, who had died years before in a car crash. Benjamin, Orana, Noah and Iona were all too young to look after themselves, and had instead been placed in the custody of the previous head of the institute, who had been their guardian for almost two years when she had died during the attack on Idris. By that time, Benjamin had been old enough to take legal guardianship of his siblings, and so now they lived here together, many of the other shadowhunters moving away. And they were left with their family, Clary now a secure part of it. She loved them all.

Benjamin had lifted up his mundane newspaper, and began to read out a series of rather depressing news headlines about politics across the world, when Orana breezed in, looking as though she had been plucked off a magazine page, despite their late night.

"Why do we bother saving the world from demons when it seems to be going to hell anyway?" She asked, in a light voice, before taking a bite out of Benjamin's toast and a sip of Clary's coffee, and swinging up so she was sat on the counter. Clary laughed, whilst Benjamin looked between her and his toast in reproach, only making Clary laugh harder. That was when Noah walked in, pushing his glasses up his nose as he took them all in.

"Why are you laughing?" He glanced between them again, and Clary just shook her head, still smiling.

"No reason." She offered to make him breakfast, but he simply lowered his eyebrows in confusion.

"I've already had breakfast. It's almost midday and not everybody stayed up all night hunting demons." Orana rolled her eyes, pushing past her little brother, but ruffling his hair with fondness on the way out. Clary smiled again. She loved Noah, with his simple way of looking at things head on, and his desire for information. He tended to have his nose stuck in one book or another, desperate to learn more, and yet he also seemed to have all the time in the world, taking the time to understand something as much as he could before he moved on. He was also caring and protective and kind. "Benjamin, there are people at the door. Quite a few of them." Benjamin smiled at his brother and stood, and Clary returned to nursing her coffee, when Orana's voice shouted through from the other room.

"Clary. Clary, come here." She felt her instinct spike at the strange tone in Orana's voice, an urge to protect her parabatai from a threat, and moved quickly, though still taking the time to bring her coffee with her. If there was a problem, she could throw it in the demon's face, and if there wasn't then she could keep consuming the caffeine that was ebbing away at the weariness from the previous night. Benjamin followed her from the room, and so did Noah, likely hoping to gather intel on the people at the door. For a 12 year old, he was very particular about the comings and goings of the institute, liking to understand a situation fully. As she moved into the main foyer of the institute, a large open space, with white walls and two glass grand staircases bending up to the second floor, Clary felt her heart stop, and she kept moving until she was stood next to Orana, who was frozen, staring at the large group that had now gathered in the foyer, all of their eyes on Clary. There was silence, and no one moved as they stared at each other, Clary feeling a lump rising in her throat and the walls that she had had to build up all those years ago, re-emerging. It was Noah who spoke first, very matter-of-fact, but quiet as he pushed his glasses up his nose again.

"It's the people from the painting." Clary didn't look at him as he spoke, her eyes instead on all of them gathered there in her home. Simon, Jace, Alec, Magnus, Izzy, Luke. All staring at her.


	3. Chapter 3

Clary couldn't find the words as she took all of them in, the people that had once been her family, but who had abandoned her one time too many. She didn't want to move from the safety of her parabatai's side, not trusting herself not to start crying or shouting. It was to Simon she looked first, and to his apologetic expression. Clary had maintained her relationship with Simon these past two years, despite everything, meeting every six months in a neutral location. He asked about her life, though she didn't tell him where she lived, but she had told him about her family and her happiness. She had asked him about his life, but had no interest in hearing about the rest of the people she had left behind. They had been to London, and Paris, and Los Angeles. And now he was here, and she had missed him, but why was he stood with these people. Why had they come here?

"Clary?" It was Luke who spoke first, stepping forwards, staring at her in disbelief as if he expected her to vanish before his eyes. She still didn't speak, just watching them all, feeling the heavy gazes on her like a burden. Beside her, Orana was staring at them with a cold expression, ready to protect her parabatai from the people who had hurt her, and on her other side, she knew that Benjamin was fighting the urge to step in front of her protectively, and was schooling his face into diplomatic neutrality. Noah, on the other hand, was examining them with unabashed curiosity, as though staring at fictional characters that had just come to life, and he looked as though he wanted to examine each of them under a microscope. Clary could feel her hands shaking, and she longed to run from the room, to go back to sleep and wake up when everything had returned to normal. Apparently, that wasn't going to happen, she realised, as she blinked repeatedly, willing them to disappear.

"Clary, are you ok?" Simon asked, taking in her blanched expression, and she moved her gaze to him once more, his quiet concern and the love in his eyes, and she felt how much she had missed him hit her fully. She couldn't bring a smile to her lips, but stepped forwards, one foot after another, before flinging herself into his arms, and breathing him in. As she stepped back, he was grinning down at her, though his eyes were still worried. Isabelle was standing closest to Simon and Clary, and stepped towards them, a quiet smile on her face. Instinctively, Clary stepped back, away from her, and she watched that step back register on Izzy's face, who's face clouded over, before she stepped back into the line. After a few more minutes of silence, Benjamin spoke, breaking the silence, and finally bringing the gazes away from Clary.

"Can we help you? If you would like to speak to us, you may wait in the library." To anyone that didn't know him, it would sound like a perfectly polite greeting, but Clary knew it was without its normal cheer and smile. She was glad that she would have a reason at least to leave the foyer, and to sort out her own thoughts. Still, Jace did not accept the offer.

"We just need to speak to Clary…" He was cut off by Iona running down the stairs.

"Clary!" She called, in her melodic voice, as she rushed into her sister's arms. Clary tried to wipe the worried expression from her face, smiling at her little sister, pulling her up, so she rested on her hip, holding her tightly. Iona was five-years-old, having only just been adopted when their adoptive parents had passed away, but she had Benjamin and Orana and Clary to look after her, and Noah helped out when he could, especially sensitive to his youngest sister's needs and emotions the way he was with very few people. Now, Iona's blue eyes scanned the group, confusion flashing in her eyes, and she buried her face in Clary's shoulder, shy in the presence of so many people. Clary smiled at her sister's interruption, grateful for the excuse to leave, and gave her moon-white curls a stroke as she spoke.

"Why are you still in your pyjamas?" Iona looked up, giving Benjamin a grin, who's attention had wandered to his little sister, where Orana's glower remained on the group gathered.

"Benjy said I could have a pyjama day." Clary couldn't help but find the girl's Australian accent adorable.

"Well, some guests have arrived, so do you want me to come and help you pick some clothes out to wear?" Iona nodded, and Clary put her down, still holding her hand as she made her way up the stairs, not bothering to look back at the people in the foyer. Still, her little sister loudly whispered as they made their way up the stairs.

"The one with the cat eyes is pretty." Clary couldn't help but remember how entranced she herself had been with Magnus' cat eyes as a child, and gave a small laugh as they turned the corner.

. . .

The minute Clary had left the room, Orana felt her protective flare flame up, and her daggers were out, pointed at the blonde boy she had identified as Jace. Clary had told her about her life before she had come here, though very little, closing up every time the subject was broached, but Orana knew enough to know that the people in her life had hurt her. She still remembered finding Clary lying outside the institute doors the day they had found her, and the days she had spent crying in her room when she had first come here. She thought about the photograph Clary had buried in her sock drawer that she took out sometimes, looking at the people in it. The people who had hurt her parabatai, who was so kind and loyal and fierce-hearted, were people who Orana had no intention of trusting.

"What are you doing here?" The people bristled at her tone, taking her in, and examining the threat she posed. It was the dark-haired boy who spoke first, voice guarded.

"We're here to speak to Clary. And only Clary." Orana had to stop herself scoffing. As if she was going to let them hurt Clary again.

"Ok, good luck with that." They would be beside Clary every step of the way. She was their family, their sister. And they would always have her back. The group were all staring at her with assessing gazes and frowns, aside from the boy Clary had embraced, who was now grinning, and walked over to Orana, extending a hand, as though she wasn't holding daggers out.

"You must be Orana. It's nice to meet you." Orana narrowed her eyes, looking at him, but carefully sheathed her daggers, and shaking his hand. "I'm Simon." She nodded, and tried to remember everything she knew about Clary's best friend. It was the older man who stepped forwards next, trying to hide his hurt expression, as he introduced himself as Luke. It was Benjamin who stepped forwards now, ever the diplomat.

"Perhaps we should complete these introductions in the library once Clary has returned, if it is her that you want to speak to." Orana noted the protective edge to his voice, and knew that he wouldn't hesitate to protect his sister, despite his role as Institute head. Their family came first. With that, the group followed Benjamin through the institute and to the library, Orana and Noah bringing up the rear. Simon walked beside Noah, chatting about the book he was reading, which apparently Simon had had to read for school, and Noah politely asked about the nature of being a vampire and how it had altered his daily life. Simon looked flabbergasted, but answered the questions anyway, and Orana could practically see the information being stored in Noah's brain as he absorbed it. When they reached the library, Orana lounged across one of the armchairs, whilst Noah sat at the desk, still reading his book, and Benjamin sat on the couch, watching all of the guests like a hawk as they occupied various seats around the library, which was where all the official meetings in the institute took place, being a large open space, with plenty of seats. And so they sat. And watched each other. And waited for Clary to return.

. . .

In Iona's room, Clary helped her pull a white fluffy jumper over her dark blue leggings. As Iona's head pulled through the neck of the jumper, she was grinning at Clary and despite her pounding heart, Clary tried to smile back, but she knew her attempt was feeble. Iona's smile faded, but she looked at Clary, and then at her own clothes and it returned.

"Look, we're matching." She said it with such joy that Clary couldn't help but smile, gently tucking one of Iona's white curls behind her ear.

"Yes, we are. Now why don't you go and hunt for Benjy and Orana in the library?" Clary could feel her lip trembling, and begged that she wouldn't cry in front of Iona, willing the small girl to leave the room.

"Ok," Iona chirped, smiling at Clary again, before skipping from the room. Sat alone in the ocean blue bedroom, Clary placed her head in her hands and began to cry, her heart fracturing. She hadn't thought seeing them again would hurt so much. All of them, changed by the two years, but still the same, and united. United in the way that they never had been with her. And she hadn't realised how much she had missed them, or how angry and hurt she still was. And so, she sobbed, and even as she fought the tears, she couldn't stop them, her shoulders shaking. She continued crying until a small hand touched her cheek, damp with tears, and she jerked her head up, finding Iona's piercing blue eyes staring into her own, worry in her expression. She didn't say anything, but kept her small hand on Clary's cheek for a moment, before leaning forwards and giving Clary a kiss on the cheek. When she leaned back, she held out her hand. "Can we go downstairs together?" Clary smiled at her sister, and pulled herself to her feet, wiping the tears from her face before she took her sister's hand.

"Come on, then." And they walked downstairs to the library, where everyone was waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey,**

**Thank you to everyone who has shown their love and support for this story. Originally, this was just something I was writing for me, but then I thought I might as well post it and I didn't anticipate the response I would get. I love receiving your reviews and hearing what you think about the story so far, and hope to continue this story further. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Fireheart Matilda xx**

**. . .**

When Clary walked into the room, she felt all of the eyes move to her, but ignored them, instead, letting go of Iona's hand and letting the small girl run over to where Benjamin was sat on the couch, where he pulled her into his lap. Clary moved to one of the armchairs that was sat by the desk where Noah was reading, advertently avoiding the gazes of the others in the room. When she sat down, she looked to Benjamin who, being the politest of them, generally took to leading these meetings, but she could see in his eyes that this one was all hers. She took a deep breath, sitting up straighter in her seat and eyeing each of them individually.

"Right, why are you here?" Her voice was cold, and distant, and she saw the look between them as they acknowledged this. It was Jace who spoke first, looking at her from where he leaned against one of the marble pillars that stood in the library.

"We're here for you, Clary. We're here because we need your help." Clary fought the urge to roll her eyes, and retort to the comment, instead keeping her cool gaze steady with his.

"And why do you need my help?" Another glance between themselves. It was Isabelle who leaned forwards, her dark eyes full of gravity.

"It's the Angel. He wants to speak to you."

Orana let out a colourful curse as Izzy spoke the last words Clary had expected them to say. She was tempted to laugh were it not for the severe expressions on everybody's faces. Unable to find any words as she searched their expressions for any humour, it was Noah who spoke next, his piqued interest evident through his tone.

"The Angel wants to speak to Clarissa? Why?" Luke raised his eyebrows at the use of her whole name, but Clary didn't bother to explain that Noah called everyone by their full name, and would likely address him as Lucien if he knew him. It was just something he had always done, partly out of habit, and partly because his name couldn't be shortened and so he didn't shorten other names. Naturally this had led to Orana calling him 'No' leading to no end of confusion. No one questioned it now, instead focussing on the ridiculous statement that had just been voiced.

"My question exactly." Clary looked to them for explanation, and it was Luke who continued.

"Since you used the Angel's wish," – Clary couldn't help but glance to Jace, remembering – "the Clave have been attempting to summon the Angel to campaign for a new wish that could be used in an emergency. Then, two months ago, they raised the Angel. And when they did, he said that he would do nothing until he spoke to Clarissa Fairchild."

"We wanted to be the ones to come and get you. We wanted it to be us that explained everything to you. And so we began to look for you." She avoided Jace's eye contact as he spoke. "And after a month, we found you. And that brings us to here and now."

Clary nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor, trying desperately to process all of this new information and understand what she planned to do, acutely aware of the room's attention that rested with her. After the long silence that followed, Benjamin noted her lack of response, and stood from the couch.

"Why don't we do introductions? I'm Benjamin Branwell." He nodded to Orana, who scowled at the thought of having to introduce herself to these people, but begrudgingly swung her legs round on the armchair so she was facing them all.

"I'm Orana Branwell, and that's Noah Branwell." Noah looked up from his book, pushing his glasses up his nose before returning his attention to the pages.

"I'm Iona Branwell." The young girl's voice was guarded, despite her normally happy and cheerful nature, and Clary looked to where she moved over to stand beside Orana's chair, not wanting to stand to close to the newcomers. If they were curious as to the relation between the siblings when they were clearly not biologically related, none of them said anything, just nodding as her family introduced themselves. Then Alec stepped forwards.

"I'm Alexander Lightwood." He gave them a formal nod, his eyes catching on Clary's who dropped her gaze.

"I'm Isabelle Lightwood." She looked older, aged from these past two years, still beautiful, but more mature than she looked in the picture Clary had of them all.

"I'm Jace Herondale." Clary couldn't help but snap her head up at that statement. She knew Jace wasn't her brother, hadn't been Valentine's son and had known since before she resurrected him, but it was still strange to hear him say it. She quickly averted her eyes from him, not wanting to look at the golden hair or the deep eyes that she had once loved.

"Simon Lewis." Simon smiled and gave Iona a casual salute, which normally would have made her giggle, but instead she moved closer into Orana's hold.

"I'm sure you've heard of me. Magnus Bane." He gave them a lavish bow that made Orana raise her eyebrows and turn her head to Clary. _Is he for real? _Clary smiled a little, thinking about how strange Magnus' ways would be to someone who didn't know him, and she realised how much she had missed him. She had never felt any anger towards Magnus, had never felt the sting of betrayal that she had felt from her mother, Jace and the Lightwoods, and had missed him all these years.

"I'm Luke Garraway." Luke was sat, looking somewhat uncomfortable as he took all of them in, from his small wooden chair. Clary tried not to think too hard about who wasn't here. Had her mother not wanted to come? Not even bothered? Instead of mulling over these thoughts she stood from her seat, moving to stand beside Benjamin.

"Now that that's over, feel free to leave."

She watched as shock flashed over their expressions, and uncertainty played through their eyes. Even Noah looked surprised from where he sat, probably due to a lack of curiosity on her part, but she remained unmoving.

"Clary, please, we have to bring you to talk to the Angel." She couldn't help but scoff, feeling her anger bubble up inside her and she clenched her fists.

"Really, Iz, really?" Her incredulous tone told them that this was the wrong thing to have said, and they seemed to hold their breaths simultaneously as they waited for her to speak. Her voice was quiet when she spoke, a quiet deadly anger that she only knew from the fight. "Two years. Two years with no contact, no attempt to try to find or contact me. But when the Clave ask. When then Clave need me, you're all too prepared to bend to their will. The same way you did two years ago when you would have let me be sent to jail, maybe even to death, so as not to anger the Clave. You didn't have my back, and you still don't. That is why I left, and you proved me right when not one of you came after me." She breathed, desperately fighting to keep her voice steady, to keep from crying or screaming. "Then I saw you today, and I thought, just for a moment that you had come for me. That you had come to find me. But I was wrong. You came for them. For the Clave. So is it really that hard for you to grasp that I have no intention of dropping my whole life here, and leaving my family, to appease your aims."

"We're your family." Jace breathed, his eyes full of emotions, but Clary shook her head.

"No. No, you're not. You were once. But not anymore. I have a family here. I have people who care about me and love me and who always have my back, because that is what family means." She could feel the lump rising in her throat, but Alec spoke before she had chance to continue.

"Clary, please. We're not going to leave without you. We want to make things right." They nodded in agreement, but Clary kept her expression the same. It meant nothing. Not now.

"Then stay. There are plenty of rooms. But if you thought for one minute that I would come to Idris with you, then you were wrong." She walked to the open doors, but paused in the doorway, not bothering to turn around as she spoke again, no emotion in her voice. "Where's my mum?" There was a short pause, and when Luke responded his voice was quiet.

"She wanted to come, kid, she really did. But she had to stay in Idris."

"Why?" There was another pause before the answer came.

"She's eight months pregnant. She couldn't portal." Clary felt the words like a punch to the gut. Her mother was pregnant. With Luke's child. She had always viewed Luke as her father, and it had been the three of them. Now they would have a real child. A child who wasn't really the daughter of the evil scum her mother had married when she was younger. A child born in love and who would always know exactly who they were. She didn't say anything though, just walked from the room, making her way to her own bedroom, where she closed the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Benjamin was left staring after Clary, his heart aching for his sister's pain, and he wanted nothing more than to run after her, to comfort her, and talk everything through. Instead, though, he was left to deal with the large party of people sat in their library who, at this present moment, he cared very little for. Still, this was his job.

"Are you really planning on staying?" He asked, and it was the blonde boy who responded, not even hesitating, as his eyes remained on the doorway that Clary had just disappeared through.

"Yes. We are." The dark haired girl placed a hand on his shoulder, as though in comfort, and Benjamin couldn't help the urge to shout at them. Why would they need comfort, when it was them who had screwed Clary over? But it was not his place, and he wasn't a screaming person. Instead, he turned to Orana.

"Help me show them to their rooms. The wing facing the gardens." He wouldn't have them anywhere near Clary, if he could help it. As expected though, Orana was not eager to welcome these newbies.

"Like hell I will." She stood from her seat, casting cold stares over all of the strangers and moved to leave the same way Clary had. The dark haired girl was the one that stopped her.

"Have we done something to offend you?" There was confusion in her voice, along with a strong resilience that Benjamin knew from his own sister's voice. Orana turned on them, folding her arms over her chest, a stance that Benjamin knew meant trouble.

"I tend not to take too well to people who hurt my parabatai, believe it or not." There was venom in her tone, and it seemed to hit home, shock rippling through their expressions, the dark haired boy, who looked so similar to his sister, speaking.

"Parabatai?" He breathed the question, as though only just realising that Clary truly had built a life here for herself. Orana was quick to retort.

"Yes, see that's something you should know, and don't. Because you weren't there for her." With that, she turned on her heel, and stalked from the room, likely going straight to Clary's room. The group were left looking shocked, and Benjamin couldn't help but think that they had gotten off lightly, Orana's priority being her parabatai as opposed to vengeance. He looked to Noah and Iona, the former of which stood from his seat, leaving his book on the desk and moving to his brother's side.  
"I'll help. Not for them, though." Benjamin knew what he meant. He would do it because it was a helpful thing to do for Benjamin, but it didn't mean he let go of his anger at their treatment of his sister, who he loved dearly. He just gave his youngest brother a small nod.

"Follow me." He walked from the room, Noah shadowing him as the group followed him from the library to be shown to their rooms. Iona trailed behind, watching them all. The dark haired man and the one with the cat eyes noticed her, and leaned down to introduce themselves to her.

"Hello there, little one." Alec said, smiling gently at Iona, who stared at him for a moment, before scowling.

"You made my sister cry." With that, she sped up, leaving the pair of them looking wounded as she ran ahead to walk next to her brothers.

Orana knocked on Clary's door first, waiting for a moment for her parabatai to let her in. When she tried the door, it opened to reveal the room to be empty, and Orana turned to try and find her in the other place Clary spent the most time in the institute when she wasn't training. She loved her parabatai, more than she could express. Clary grounded her, was her opposite in so many ways that they fit together like a key in a lock. Two years ago, Orana had found her lying outside the institute just days after the attack on Idris, unconscious. They had taken her in, provided her with the refuge they were obligated to provide any shadowhunter with. She had spent days in her room, crying and sleeping and barely eating. Then, it had been like a switch had been clicked, like she had chosen to put up a barricade between her old life and her new one, and she had opened up. Orana had showed her her favourite spots in Sydney, and they had trained together. She told Iona bedtime stories and read books at the same time as Noah so that she could talk to him about them. She had taken on duties in the institute and become a part of their family. And she was the best friend Orana had never known she had needed. She was family. Orana reached the small staircase that led up to a room with a glass door. It was a studio, with two of the walls completely glass, looking out over the city, and before Clary had arrived they hadn't known what to do with it. Now it was where she painted, and drew, and doodled. There was a large easel in the middle of the room, and a canvas on it, beside which, sat Clary's supply table with all of her paints and brushes and pencils. The room itself was quite small, but there was a side door, leading into a large room that was full of paintings and drawings and all of Clary's work, or the stuff that wasn't hung up around the institute. There were chests that contained paintings and easels full of work. It was there that Orana found Clary. She was sat in the middle of the floor, having pulled out a series of paintings that she was now examining, all of them spread around her. Looking over her parabatai's shoulder, Orana couldn't help but notice the detail and love poured into these paintings. These were paintings full of memories and emotions. There was a woman in one painting, looking a lot like Clary, but older, with a paintbrush in one hand and a seraph blade in the other, staring out of the painting with fierce determination. In another, a young girl with red hair was stood beside a man who was clearly Magnus Bane, as he conjured orbs of lights and magic around them. Then, there was a painting of a battle, chaos surrounding three individuals, two dark haired and one blonde as they made their way through the battle, blades out, resembling vengeful angels. A greenhouse was alight and magical in another painting, with two people sat in the centre of it all, watching the heaven around them. She beheld a wolf in another, eyes bright, reflecting an image of a bloody girl. And there was Clary again, a cup of coffee in hand, sat on a couch with Simon, laughing together. And finally, a dark night by a lake, illuminated by the light of the Angel, with Clary lying, injured and begging, with two dead men beside her. All of these memories, all of these people, Clary had lost them and now they were here and not for her. Not really. She didn't have to say anything, didn't have anything to say that could make this better, and so Orana just sank to the ground beside Clary and wrapped her arms around her, holding her as she stared blankly at the paintings and everything they represented.

. . .

Clary spent the rest of the day in the studio painting. She didn't paint anything in particular. Instead she painted feelings and abstract imaginings, the kind she had drawn a lot before being introduced to the shadow world. Orana stayed for a time, sat on a stool, watching her paint, and not talking, which was rare for her parabatai. After a while, she left, and Clary lost track of time, immersed in the colours and ideas she was creating. She loved to lose herself in her artwork, to forget about everything else and return to the thing she had always loved and would always hold dear. Sometimes she needed her art to remember, to capture memories and people and trap them on the page, and sometimes she needed her art to escape. Benjamin came in at some point with food, but Clary didn't hear him, her headphones in as she added the intricate details to the canvas. When she had finished the painting, she stepped back to examine what she had created, realising it was later than she had anticipated, stars shining in the night sky. At least she wouldn't have to worry about running into anyone in the institute. She consumed the dinner Benjamin had left for her, realising quite how ravenous she was, not having eating at all that day, and returned her attention to her canvas. She was met with a sea of emotions, of dark blues and black, like a churning ocean in a storm, ready to topple any sailors unfortunate enough to be caught in the storm. Placing her paintbrush down beside the canvas, Clary turned her back on it, not wanting to see the portrayal of her emotions, of the anger and sorrow. She left the painting to dry and walked back into the room where she stored her paintings, moving to the back of the room, where a sheet hung over the wall. Pulling it back, Clary was met with a waft of dust and thought about how long it had been since she had looked at the two paintings she stored beneath the cloth. She had been in a good place, hadn't thought about it all for such a long time. Now, she pulled out the two canvases and brought them into her studio, placing them on spare easels and examining them. Each painting brought hurt to her eyes, and she couldn't decide which painting hurt more. Not bothering to reach a decision, Clary turned from the studio and walked out.

As she was making her way back to her room, Clary passed Iona's room and heard voices inside. Gently pushing open the door, Clary watched Benjamin from the doorway as he sat on his youngest sister's bed and read to her. She watched for a time, listening to the story about less troubled times and relishing in the normality of this image. Then Iona's eyes met her own, and her expression became guilty.

"Clary, Benjy only came to give me stories because he said you wouldn't feel up to it tonight." Clary smiled, shaking her head, and moving over to the bed.

"Well, Benjy was right. I'll come and give you stories tomorrow, Iona. Don't worry, they'll be much better than Benjy's." She winked at the girl, earning her a small giggle, and bent down, kissing her forehead softly. Before she left the room, she gave Benjamin's hand a soft squeeze, a thank you, and walked back out into the corridor, letting the door click behind her. She continued to her own room, but as she walked passed Noah's room, he called out.

"Clarissa?" She walked into the room, and he gave a proud smile. "I deduced it was you because Benjamin is giving Iona stories and Orana likes to eat when you get upset because it calms her."

"Very good, Noah." She knew he had something else to ask, and sank into the small chair that sat beside the bed. Noah disliked people sitting on the bed, claiming it wrinkled the sheets and made it hard for him to move. Her brother was a very particular person, but Clary loved each one of his strange habits, because they made him who he was, and it made her feel loved that he allowed her to know and learn these things about him. When he spoke, his tone was very matter-of-fact, as though he was collecting data for a report.

"Will the visitors be staying long, Clarissa?"

"I don't know exactly how long, Noah, but I doubt it shall be very long." He gave a short nod, and paused before broaching his next question.

"Will there be more visitors arriving soon, Clarissa?" Clary tried not to think of her mother, still in Idris, expecting a child, her half sibling.

"There will not." He gave another nod, clasping his hands in front of him, as though he didn't know what to do with him. He had already taken his glasses off and placed them on his nightstand and so he could not push his glasses up his nose the way he normally did when he was nervous.

"Will I have to interact with the visitors, Clarissa?"

"Not if you don't want to." He paused a moment, as if contemplating.

"They knew you before you came to Sydney, Clarissa?" Clary didn't answer, just giving a nod, and waiting for him to explain. "Then I think I should like to interact with them. It would be beneficial to learn more about you from them." Clary smiled at that, knowing it was his way of being affectionate. Noah liked to learn about things he cared about. She really loved her brother. As she stood, to make her way from the room, she gave him a kiss on the forehead before walking to the door. She paused there, looking back at him.

"Noah." He looked up at her. "I won't let them disrupt things." He gave her a grateful smile, and she returned it. "Goodnight brother."

"Goodnight sister." And so she left the room, leaving the door ajar at a 45 degree angle, just the way he liked it. Clary walked to her own room, closed the door and got ready for bed. And as she lay there that night, she couldn't help but think about all the people lying under the same roof as her at that very moment. People she had never thought she would see again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Dear Readers,**

**I realise that I have been absent recently from my account and not updating as much as I would like to, but it is only because I'm writing so much, I forget that I need to keep on top of all the stories I've already posted. I really love this story and it is definitely one I want to keep writing. I'm still unsure of where the story is headed so if anyone wants to send suggestions or ideas, they would be very welcome, along with any comments you have on the story so far. i love hearing what people think of my work and reviews really inspire me to write more. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. **

**Thanks :)**

**. . .**

The next morning, Clary was up at the crack of dawn, after a restless night in which she could hardly sleep. She pulled her black leggings, tight black top and black boots from her wardrobe, and brushed through her hair, pulling it into a ponytail to keep it out of the way, before making her way down to the training rooms. Training in the Sydney institute was different than Clary had ever imagined training could be. There were three main training spaces; the first was a large hall with multiple sparring rings and arrays of weapons brandishing the walls, waiting to be fought with. The second was a large hall with ropes to climb and walls to scale, and reminded Clary of playgrounds she had been to as a child. It was in that room that the training was the hardest though, building core and muscle and learning to fall from high places. The third space was outside, in the large grassy land that surrounded the Sydney institute. That was what Clary like the most about Sydney, the fact that it was an exciting city but still had so many green spaces and beautiful scenery. Now, she made her way to the training rooms, finding Orana already inside. The hall was large, and like most of the institute, had a large window covering one wall to let the light in. Glamours on the institute meant people couldn't see them anyway, so they might as well make use of the bright Sydney sun. Orana turned her head as Clary walked in, giving her a look that Clary knew was asking how she was. Instead of responding, Clary moved to the rack of weapons and pulled her swords from their place. They had been her parents' swords, back in the day, and now they were hers, and had been one of the only things she had not been prepared to leave behind in Idris. Cocking one eyebrow at Clary's weapon choice, Orana pulled her metal staff from the rack. It had been her adoptive father's before he had passed away, and now, she took to using it when she could. Clary couldn't deny it made her a formidable opponent. Ducking into the ring, Clary held the swords in her hands, comforted by their familiar weight and grip. Orana grinned at her, and gave her a slow nod. Taking her cue, Clary pounced. She spun and ducked and swiped out with her blades, and Orana moved in response, like ribbons wrapped around each other. Clary didn't think she had ever met anyone as different to her as Orana was, but that was how they worked. As Orana went to the floor, to sweep Clary's legs from under her, Clary jumped over the top of her instead, pointing her blades at her parabatai's back. She held the position three seconds before she felt the world slip from beneath her, and found herself on her back with Orana's staff on her chest, her parabatai standing over her triumphant. Using her own blades to disengage the staff from her chest, Clary jumped to her feet and held a blade to Orana's heart, where she found Orana's staff ready to deliver a killing blow to her own chest. Once again, they were at an impasse.

Smiling at her parabatai, Clary opened her mouth to call off the fight and found herself interrupted.

"You've improved." Clary whirled, finding Jace and Alec watching her from the doorway, already dressed in their own gear. She didn't bother wondering how they had gotten all their clothes here, assuming Magnus' talent with portals had something to do with it. Jace stood frozen, his mouth slightly open, whilst it was Alec who had spoken.

"You weren't paying attention before." Clary turned and walked out of the ring, taking a swig of water from her bottle. Orana watched them carefully, not saying anything, and Clary just placed her swords back on the rack and grabbed her water bottle, walking over to where the boys stood, their eyes still on her. It was Jace that Clary addressed.

"Don't look so shocked, Jace." She gave him a quick pat on the cheek and stalked from the room, calling behind her. "Gaping fish isn't a good look on you." She could hear Orana's laughs all the way down the corridor. It seemed her parabatai had taught her more than just fighting.

When she walked into the kitchen, Clary supressed a groan. Angel above, she couldn't escape them. They were everywhere. Isabelle was stood with her back to the door that Clary walked in through, stood over a saucepan with scrambled eggs inside. Or something that vaguely resembled scrambled eggs. She looked up as Clary walked in the room, but she carefully avoided eye contact, walking over to grab cereal out of the cupboard instead. Isabelle walked closer, placing a hand on Clary's shoulder, which she walked away from, moving to the kettle.

"Clary, please, just hear me out…" She was cut off by Noah walking into the room. He was already dressed, hair combed and glasses on, with a notebook and pen in his hands.

"Good morning, Clarissa." Clary gave him a smile and a nod, grateful for the interruption.

"Good morning, Noah." He looked to Isabelle then, and peered at his notebook, flicking a few pages.

"Good morning…" he hesitated, checking his notebook again. "Isabelle." She gave him a confused look, and tried to peer into the notebook from which he seemed to have conjured her name, but he had snapped it closed, and sat down at the table. She returned to her eggs, turning to him, with an open smile.

"Scrambled eggs?" Clary had been right with her guess. Noah opened his mouth but before he could agree, she interrupted.

"If I remember rightly, you shouldn't go near those eggs with a ten-foot pole, Noah." Isabelle gave her an odd look, somewhere between hurt and happiness, but Clary ignored her, pulling Noah's preferred cereal out of the cupboard. "Cereal?" He paused a moment.

"No, thank you." She put it back in, and heard the kettle boil, pouring the boiling water into her coffee, before adding a dash of milk and sugar, and picking up her coffee and cereal and leaving the kitchen, adding to Noah on the way out.

"Fruit's in the bowl. Class starts at nine." And she left, not sparing Izzy a second glance, and determined to find somewhere to eat her breakfast where she wouldn't have to see people.

When Clary reached her room, she sat down at her desk to eat her cereal, looking out over Sydney. Everything was happening so fast, and Clary could hardly keep up. She just needed to try and forget about all of it, to return to her normal life and pray to the Angel that they gave up on her and left soon. It had already been difficult, before all of this. She had been dealing with everything with Theo…She couldn't think about that now. She couldn't afford to break down again, not with them here. Finishing her breakfast, Clary changed out of her training clothes and quickly showered. As she emerged from her bathroom, in a towel, she found Orana lying on her bed, a frustrated expression on her face. Clary moved over to her dresser, and pulled out a pair of light blue ripped jeans and a red top she had brought whilst shopping with Orana the week before. From the bed, Orana groaned.

"I swear they're spreading. It's like an infestation. I can't go anywhere without finding one of them." Clary knew Orana was protective of her, in the same way that she was protective of Orana. Some people would think Orana didn't need protecting, but those were the same people who had no clue who Orana really was. She was strong and tough and witty, but she was also kind and loyal and sensitive. She didn't bother to respond, just pulling on her clothes and walking to her mirror to brush through her damp red curls. She was determined to continue as though nothing was different, as though they weren't here, and that was exactly what she would do. Besides, she didn't need Orana to be annoyed by their presence, simply because they seemed to plan on staying for a while, until they realised that there was no point waiting for her. The funny thing was that, despite Clary's aversion to Idris after everything that had happened there last time, had they sent a different group of shdowhunters to get her, she might have gone. But she would never follow these people, the people who had turned their backs on her time and time again. Instead, she smiled at Orana, and grabbed her phone from her nightstand.

"I'm off to class." And she walked from her room, leaving Orana on her bed, flicking through a magazine.

Clary walked to the study, where she found Noah already sat looking at his notes from last lesson. Shadowhunter children who did not attend the academy were required to learn about the shadow world and their duties as a shadowhunter at their respective institutes, and it was no different here. They were to be taught about runes and shadowhunter history and ancient Clave rules. These things were usually taught by a tutor, but due to the small population of the Sydney institute, the role fell to Benjamin and Orana who had already completed their own education. Having grown up in the mundane world, Clary herself was learning all of these things as well, and found herself completely unable to teach them to anyone else. However, Noah had always been a curious child, a child who had wanted to learn about everything he could, and with an interest in both the mundane and shadow worlds, and it was here that Clary was able to help him. Since arriving at the institute two years ago, Clary had been giving Noah lessons on the mundane syllabus, the same one that she herself had been taught growing up. He learned about maths and science and literature and history and geography, lapping up all the knowledge he could, making extensive notes and reading all the books he could find on the subjects. She found she loved teaching Noah, despite her own limited interest in some of the topics she was teaching, and loved that she was allowing him to learn about what he wanted. They only studied in the mornings, with shadowhunter training and classes occurring after lunch. She began her lessons that morning with biology.

"We can also learn about the structure of blood cells that are carried in the bloodstream. They have no nucleus in order to create more space for haemoglobin, which is a chemical that binds to oxygen, allowing the blood to transport oxygen around the body. And why does the blood need to carry oxygen around the body, Noah?" He paused a moment from his note-taking, looking up at her with an unsure expression.

"So respiration can occur." She grinned and he smiled back, momentarily proud of himself, before he returned to his notes. She continued her lesson on the adaptations of the blood, and the role of the different cells in the blood, such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Noah answered almost all of her questions correctly, and those that he didn't, he made a note of both the question and the answer in his notebook. She liked covering this content, as boring as it was. It made her feel as though there was some use to the education that she received that proved useless after she found herself to be a shadowhunter.

After an hour, she moved onto history, discussing with Noah the preparations of the Normans before the battle of Hastings. At 10:30, Clary stood up from where she had been sat cross-legged on the desk, and gestured for Noah to follow her. She had butterflies in her stomach and she was giddy with excitement. She had been planning this lesson for a while now, and it was finally happening. Clary led Noah down the back stairway to the weapons room, and he looked thoroughly perplexed at the change in location.

"Now Noah, can you remember the differences between the weaponry of the Normans and the Saxons that led to a Norman advantage." His expression cleared a little and he moved to pick up his own weapon of choice, his bow.

"The Normans had archers, which meant they could attack the Saxons from a further distance. They also had a cavalry, giving them a height advantage." She smiled at him, before picking up a sword from the rack.

"Very good. Now follow me." She gestured for him to keep hold of the weapon he had picked up and he slung some arrows over his shoulder, before following her from the room. Clary walked with him into the main foyer, and she grinned at what she saw. At the top of the staircase stood Benjamin, Orana and Iona, each holding a shield and forming the famous shield wall. Noah looked even more confused as their siblings grinned at them from the glass banister. Turning to her little brother, Clary grinned. "Well Noah, here we are. Senlac hill. We are the Normans and they are the Saxons and we are trying to break their shield wall and successfully invade England. We must do it the way that William the Conqueror did it all of those years ago. Let's begin." And Noah grinned. Here it was, the lesson she had waited for. The battle of Hastings. She and Noah first tried running up the stairs but, true to history, their 'horses' tired out before they could reach the top and had to retreat. They then tried arrows but the angle was wrong and they bounced harmlessly off the shield wall created. Finally, Clary looked at Noah and gave a nod, before pulling a flag from her pocket and waving it, the same kind of flag that would have been used by William to communicate with his troops. At that signal, both she and Noah ran to the back of the foyer, towards the doors and away from the stairs, feigning retreat. As they heard the Saxons follow them down that hill, making their fateful mistake, they turned on their heels and fought. There was the sound of blade on blade, of Iona's overly dramatized fake death, until Benjamin, Orana and Iona all lay on the floor, and Clary and Noah were victorious. Clary didn't think she had ever seen Noah quite so excited, jumping around with his bow and arrow, the classic Norman helmets both she and Noah had pulled on, covering his expression, but not his wide smile. "And what did we learn from that, Noah?"

"That I have the best big sister ever." He threw his arms around her, and Clary hugged him, laughing at his response, even as he started to list off all the facts he actually remembered about the battle of Hastings.

It wasn't until someone at the side of the foyer cleared their throat that Clary even noticed they were there. Stood around the sides of the room, Jace, Alec, Isabelle, Magnus, Luke and Simon were watching the display with confused expressions. She didn't know how long they had been there, but judging by their faces, they had seen most of it. Clary didn't know why she wanted to slap them for interrupting, it was like they had invaded on this moment and tainted it. Benjamin, Orana and Iona all stood from their positions on the floor, Iona having been lifting up by Orana, having refused to stop playing dead and was still lying limp in her sister's arms, her tongue hanging out. It was Simon that broke the silence.

"You did the battle of Hastings without me! You traitor, Fray." He was grinning though as he moved towards her and placed an arm over her shoulder. The affection felt so natural, the movement so normal that Clary forgot how much had changed. But not with them, they would never change with each other. He smiled at her family. "We first did this in Miss Proctor's fourth grade history class, and she made the mistake of giving us rulers as lances. Some mean girl, Natalie Horowitz, had been a Saxon and had pushed me off the chair I was stood on to represent my horse. Being a protective best friend, Clary stabbed her in the eye with a ruler, giving the girl a black eye for over a month." Clary grinned up at him, recalling the memory, and the evil little girl she had hated so much at the time for hurting her best friend. Noah, however, had pulled out a little notebook and pen that had been in his pocket, looking at Simon.

"Clarissa's surname is Fairchild, and yet you called her Fray. Why is that?"

"Fray was Clary's mundane surname. When Clary and I met, we were both living in the mundane world and we got by just fine for 18 years until Clary bumped into those three idiots on her birthday and cursed us both." She could hear the humour in his voice but felt less inclined to laugh as she was reminded of the presence of the other people in the room. She turned back to them, noting their expressions before turning back to her family.

"Class is over for this morning Noah." And saying this, she walked up the stairs that had been Senlac hill only minutes ago, and disappeared into the institute.


End file.
